The present invention relates to container conveyors, for example, for use in packaging machines.
Conveyors of the type mentioned are already known which comprise a drive sprocket, a driven sprocket, a chain reeved around the sprockets and drivable intermittently, and a plurality of container holders attached to the chain at a spacing corresponding to the distance the chain is moved at a time by intermittent driving. The chain has a container transport path extending successively via a group of devices including a filling device and a sealing device.
With the conveyor described, the container holders need to be brought to a halt accurately at specified operating positions such as the locations of the filling device and the sealing device. Otherwise, the required packaging operation will not be performed on the containers. However, the chain becomes inevitably stretched with time, and if exceeding a certain limit, the stretch starts to cause trouble in the packaging operation. Although maintenance is provided on the conveyor in the event of trouble arising, the procedure performed is not efficient.
An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor wherein operation support operating data, for example, as to the halted position and movement of the chain is readily available to ensure facilitated and efficient maintenance of the chain.
The present invention provides a conveyor comprising a drive sprocket, a driven sprocket and an intermittently drivable chain reeved around the sprockets, the conveyor being characterized in that the conveyor comprises an instrument for measuring the amount of rotation of the driven sprocket, and a processor for processing the measurement obtained by the instrument as operation support operating data corresponding to the amount of rotation of the driven sprocket.
With the conveyor of the invention, the amount of rotation of the driven sprocket is measured to obtain operation support operating data based on the measurement. This assures the chain of facilitated and efficient maintenance.
The processor comprises setting means for determining a reference position of the chain in time series when the chain is moved a distance at a time by intermitting driving, means for computing the actual position of the chain corresponding to the reference position based on the measurement obtained by the instrument, and means for computing the deviation of the actual position of the chain from the reference position. This enables the operator to observe the dynamic variations involved in the movement of the chain when it is moved a specified distance at a time by intermittent driving.
The processor may comprise setting means for determining a reference halted position of the chain every time the chain is moved a distance by intermitting driving during one turn of movement, means for computing the actual halted position of the chain corresponding to the reference halted position based on the measurement obtained by the instrument, and means for computing the deviation of the actual halted position of the chain from the reference halted position. This enables the operator to observe the static variations involved in one turn of movement of the chain.
The present invention provides another conveyor comprising a pair of drive sprockets, a pair of driven sprockets and a pair of intermittently drivable chains each reeved around the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket corresponding to the chain, the conveyor being characterized in that the conveyor comprises a first instrument for measuring the amount of rotation of one of the driven sprockets, a second instrument for measuring the amount of rotation of the other driven sprocket, and a processor for processing the measurements obtained by the two instruments as operation support operating data.
The invention is useful also for the maintenance of the pair of chains included in this conveyor.
The processor of the conveyor comprises setting means for determining reference halted positions of the respective chains every time the chains are moved a distance by intermitting driving during one turn of movement, means for computing the actual halted position of each of the chains corresponding to the reference halted position of the chain based on the measurement obtained by the corresponding instrument, and means for computing the deviation of the actual halted position from the reference halted position. This enables the operator to observe the static variations involved in one turn of movement of the pair of chains.
When a plurality of container holders are attached to the chain at a spacing corresponding to the distance the chain is moved at a time by intermittent driving, and further when the chain has a container transport path extending successively via a group of devices including a filling device and a sealing device, each container holder can be brought to a halt at a desired operating position of the group of devices.